H540 Summary

• Adds failure to provide adequate shelter as a Class 1 misdemeanor offense under North Carolina's animal cruelty statute (G.S. 14-360), with each act constituting a separate offense.

• Defines "adequate shelter" to include requirements that shelter be suitable for the species, protect from weather and injury, be properly cleaned and maintained, provide shade, windbreak, bedding, and for dogs and cats include a solid resting surface.

• Prohibits outdoor tethering of animals during any period of extreme weather, defined as temperatures above 85°F or below 32°F, hurricane warnings, tropical storm warnings, heat advisories, or severe weather warnings.

• Establishes comprehensive definitions for terms including "animal," "extreme weather," "intentionally," "maliciously," and "torture, torment, or cruelly" within animal cruelty laws.

• Appropriates $100,000 to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for a public awareness campaign regarding the animal cruelty law changes, effective July 1, 2023, with the remainder of the act effective December 1, 2023.